Monster Baby #35: On Aging

It’s Lisa’s birthday and Ted’s about to turn 50—time to talk about aging! Our Monster Baby duo starts with a challenging warm-up game of “Fifteen Things!” to keep their brains youthfully invigorated (2:07) and then chat about how age has affected their respective memories (9:47). Ted and Lisa consider the dating ramifications of getting older and why a Saturn return might represent an important marker of maturity (11:53). Lisa explains why and how she wears her age proudly (19:06) and then the two dig into the heart of the episode, exploring how age and aging show up in the worlds of improv (21:59) and mindfulness (32:12). Lisa talks about how she feels about seeming “cool” as she gets older and Ted muses on the notion of making peace with physical changes over time (36:28). Ted talks about how mindfulness can interrupt our tendency toward calcified reactivity and judgment (42:43) and Lisa notes the value of collecting healthy mindsets along life’s pathway (48:44). The episode closes with a playful question about elephants (50:45) and the usual outro (54:38). As we get closer to another calendar year moving along, we wish you well with your passing of time!

As always, please send a note, question, or comment if you feel so inspired: info@monsterbabypodcast.com. Thanks so much for listening—we love you all!

San Francisco improvisors Ted DesMaisons and Lisa Rowland explore the beautiful, surprising and unruly intersections between mindfulness and improvisation as they seek to befriend that oft-hidden and sometimes scary part of all of us that can lead to a life well-lived.